Nafissatou Thiam, right, of Belgium and Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Great Britain celebrate together after winning gold and silver.
Photograph: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

Time and time again Katarina Johnson-Thompson threw everything bar her size-eight spikes at Nafi Thiam. First came a 200m that ranked as the fastest ever in a European Championship heptathlon. Then a javelin personal best just when her Belgian rival appeared to wobble. And, finally, a gutsy 800m to clinch her highest ever score of 6,759 points after two gruelling days of competition. Yet still she could not break her.

And when, for the final time, she tried to apply the squeeze in the penultimate event, Thiam reached for her weapon of choice, a 2.2 metre javelin, and sent a spear into the heart of Johnson-Thompson’s chances of glory.

The Liverpudlian had been the virtual leader when the second round of the javelin began. But suddenly Thiam uncorked two almighty throws of 53.55m and 57.91m. It meant that Johnson-Thompson’s hopes of gold turned first to despair and then acceptance. Once again, the reigning Olympic and world champion had proved to be too good. But it was a damn close run thing. In the last event, the 800m, Johnson-Thompson tried desperately to claw back a 192-point gap – which amounted to a 13.5 second deficit – and fell only four seconds short.

And while it wasn’t to be this time, she was understandably delighted at having claimed a third major medal in five months. Certainly adding a European medal to world indoor pentathlon and Commonwealth heptathlon golds, as well as a new personal best, was one hell of a silver lining. “I’m happy with the whole attitude, the whole heptathlon, my progression, and the fact that I feel like I’m on to something,” she said. “I’m satisfied with the performance but I definitely want more.”

Who could blame her? After all, Johnson-Thompson had finished just 57 points behind Thiam, who scored 6,815, with the German Carolin Schäfer taking bronze with 6,602. “Up until this point, these championships, I wasn’t as confident as I am coming out of them,” she conceded. “Obviously I had tougher opposition here. I was happy with my first two medals but this has a bigger significance, especially as I injured my calf at the Commonwealth Games. It has taken a lot of work to get me on the starting line. Given my preparation and my build up, this has been one of my best performances ever.”

Day two started with Johnson-Thompson on 4,017 points, with Thiam second on 3,930 and Schäfer third on 3,848. Yet she knew her lead was an uneasy one. Her path to glory was desperately narrow: she had to stretch her lead in the long jump, limit her losses in the javelin, and then go for glory in the 800m.

She started with a 6.68m leap in the long jump – an effort made all the more respectable given that she has suffered mental demons in the event after fouling out while favourite for the world championships in Beijing in 2015.

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“I’ve never really jumped that far in a heptathlon,” she said afterwards. “I know that my season’s best is 6.70m but that was off fresh legs in the grand prix, so 6.68m under pressure in the third round is something I’m very proud of.”

The pressure was on Thiam, but she responded like a champion with 6.60m, just two centimetres below her personal best. Johnson-Thompson had extended her lead to 107 points, but deep down she surely knew it wasn’t enough given that her javelin best was nearly 17 metres – and more than 300 points – worse.

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Yet Johnson-Thompson continued to fight, and in the first round of the javelin she launched a personal best of 42.16m, while Thiam could manage only 46.36m. Against all expectations the Briton was still ahead.

But the Belgian was not finished and when she hurled a massive 57.91m missile in the third round she sensed victory was hers. As Thiam roared in delight, Johnson-Thompson applauded and smiled ruefully, knowing her chances had surely gone.

To win gold she needed to motor round the 800m 13.5 seconds faster than Thiam. She gave it everything in finishing in 2:09:84 but behind her Thiam stretched every sinew to come home in 2:19.35. It proved just enough.

“Before the 800m I still thought I could do it,” said Johnson-Thompson. “But it’s very hard to front run. I’ve found that out now, so I need to put some work in there. But anything can happen in athletics and in sport.”

Thiam has been unbeaten now for the best part of two and a half years and has a strong case to be considered the top female athlete in the world. Worryingly for her competitors, she is only 23. Yet Johnson-Thompson senses, perhaps for the first time, that she has the capacity to match her stride for stride, blow for blow.

“I just know I can improve in loads of single events and this shows I can perform against the world’s best.”